SAMOA. 639 



acts of the evil spirit ; also miscarriage, ditKcult parturition, 

 fatal child-bearing, and cases of malformation or of 7icevK 

 niaterni were supposed to be caused I)y such demoniacal 

 influences. At such times, searching inquiries would be made 

 as to who had provoked the anger of the uneuthua, and often 

 confession was made of some transgression wiiich had pro- 

 voked the ire of the spirit. If a canoe were overtaken in a 

 storm, or driven astray by adverse winds, the crew, like that 

 of the Phoenician vessel in which Jonah was esca])ing, would 

 demand mutual inquiry as to whose guilt had brought them 

 into danger. Some startling revelations have been made on 

 such occasions. 



Death. 



Sickness and death were viewed by the Samoans as pro- 

 ceeding from the anger of theii' tutelary deities, or produced 

 by an evil spirit, oi- by the spirit of a dead relative entering 

 the body of the victim. According to native accounts, men 

 and women formerly enjoyed greater longevity than at the 

 present time. There are no means for veritying this state- 

 ment, as there are no data by which it is possible to ascertain 

 correctly the age of individuals, for their mode of computing 

 time was by tracing back remarkable events — such as famous 

 wars, Sec. — as having occurred in the lifetime. 



When a member of a family was seriously ill, messengers 

 would be sent Avith presents to the priest (taulaltu) to inquire 

 the reason of the disi)leasure of the family god or aitu^ and 

 to supplicate his clemency and forgiveness. At such times 

 the cupidity of the jjriest would be successfully manifested, 

 and the most valuable jjrojjerty would be demanded and 

 willingly surrendered, as offerings to propitiate the god or attn. 

 The priest would cunningly quote, or invent, some family 

 curse existing, or a case of transgressing against a tabu. 



Fi-iends and relatives of the sick would visit him, even 

 from distant places, each bringing a present as a token of 

 regard ; and after the funeral rites were performed, these 

 presents were distributed among the mourners and friends 

 assembled on the occasion. 



There were surgeons and doctors among the Samoans 

 who practised mostly with charms and incantations. The 

 Tongan doctors, a large number of whom found a remunerative 

 practice in Samoa, employed medicines — chiefly decoctions of 

 herbs, often very successfully, in acute diseases. Massage was 

 repeatedly practised, with vej-y soothing ett'ect, also anointing 



